A. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to coolers and insulated storage compartments and more particularly to thermoelectric coolers of the type that are especially adapted for use in harsh environments such as locomotive cabs and the like which require highly efficient cooling action and a minimum amount of space for the net volume of storage provided. More particularly, the present invention relates to a new and improved thermoelectric cooler of the character described having an insulated door formed with a pair of pivotally interconnected segments and movable between a closed position wherein the door segments are in coplanar alignment and an open position wherein the entire area of the access opening of the cooler compartment is exposed yet a minimum volume of space outside the cooler is required for the door while in the open position, thus resulting in a minimum space requirement per unit volume of the storage compartment.
B. Description of the Prior Art
Operator cabs in heavy machinery, railroad locomotives and other vehicles often present a particularly harsh environment for coolers and storage compartments which are used by the operators to keep food items, water and beverages cool. Oftentimes the environmental temperature in these cabs is high, space is at a premium and substantial vibration and movement is often a continuous factor to be dealt with. Nevertheless, cooling units are provided since it has been demonstrated that provision of a cooling compartment for food and beverages enhances operator efficiency. Typically, thermoelectric or solid state coolers have been successfully used in these harsh environments and one such cooler is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,383,414 incorporated herein by reference. The aforementioned co-pending parent application hereof provides a significant improvement over the solid state cooler disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,383,414 and the cooler of the present application provides a significant improvement particularly in the door construction and minimizing the overall space required. Other thermoelectric or solid state refrigerators or coolers are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,209,547; 4,326,383 and 4,400,948.